Strangers at the Cove Read online

  “What sort of goods?” Lexie asked.

  “There are a number of things they look for. It would seem that Jason is an investigative officer with them and he’s been trying to uncover a group of people smuggling live native birds out of the country.”

  “You’re kidding,” Lexie gasped. “What sort of birds?”

  “Lorikeets, king parrots, rosellas. It seems birds like that can fetch up to five thousand dollars overseas.”

  Lexie thought of all the beautiful native birds she was familiar with, particularly the more colourful ones she saw when they holidayed in the Snowy Mountains, and was horrified. “Amazing! But how can they smuggle them without anyone seeing or hearing them and still have them alive at the other end?”

  “Heavens, Lexie, I don’t know,” he said in exasperation. “I’m only telling you this because Jason is concerned about Clare and Stacey’s safety. We had a long talk and decided it would be better for you all to understand what’s going on. I’ve spoken to Tom about the situation, I think it’s important for him to know as he lives close by.” He looked kindly at Clare. “Your father feels bad not being here with you both right now, Clare. He’ll explain it all to you himself when he returns but in the meantime,” and his serious gaze included them all, “he’s asked me to see you keep a close eye on each other. He feels safe in the knowledge that you’re down here, away from the city.”

  “Was he surprised that Clare and Stacey are with us, Dad?” Lexie asked.

  “Yes, actually he was,” there was a smile in his voice. “He wasn’t sure we were still here. Seems he got quite a surprise when he was informed by his office that Miss Reiby was in hospital and that his children had been taken in by old family friends!” He chuckled. “From now on, until this business is behind us, I don’t want you three going too far afield and definitely don’t go off on your own. Okay?” He looked around the table at the three of them. “Okay, Stacey?”

  “Yes, sir,” he said solemnly.

  That night as Lexie and Clare lay in bed they discussed what had been said at dinner. “Did you know what your father was doing, Clare?”

  “No, he never talked about work at home. I knew it was fairly secret, and I guess I realised it was important when those phone calls started and we had a man from the department come out to see Mum. I was at school when he came and she never really told me what it was about. Thinking about it now, though, she became fairly protective and wouldn’t let us go out on our own after he’d been.”

  They lay in silence for a while then Lexie said, “Do you think someone was watching us the other day down at the Cove?” Her words hung in the air without reply. Clare was sleeping.

  SEVEN

  Smugglers Revealed

  The next day after breakfast Lexie’s mother took Clare into the physio room for her exercises and Lexie went along to help.

  “Lexie,” Mum began in a contrasting tone to her gentle massage of Clare’s leg, “I was concerned to hear you had taken Clare riding the other day.”

  “But, Mum, everything was fine,” she wheedled, putting on her best innocent face. “You know Bud, he walked so slowly and Clare didn’t feel she was in any danger. Did you Clare?”

  “Yes, Mrs Holman, really. Don’t be angry with Lexie. I felt very safe in the saddle and Bud was really calm and it was so wonderful to be out and about without crutches or the wheelchair. I’ve been going crazy tied down for so long.”

  “I know it’s hard for you, but the last thing you need is to fall off a horse right now.” She grinned. Clare and Lexie looked at each other and laughed. Seriousness returned. “Don’t even think about doing it again without my knowledge, okay Lexie?”

  “Yes, Mum.” She paused. “Can we go down to the Cove later this morning?”

  “How?”

  “Horseback, please let us. It was fine last time. Stacey can ride his bike again and I’ll lead Bud and watch Clare. If it would make you feel happier maybe Tom could come and help Clare get on and off.”

  “How do you feel, Clare? Things are coming along so well, it won’t be too long before the cast can come off your right leg, and your left one is improving all the time. The rate it’s going, we could probably fit you with a foot drop splint soon which would enable you to walk more easily with your crutches. You don’t want to be put back in a wheelchair do you?”

  “No, but I just know everything will be alright.”

  Mum sighed in resignation and left Clare doing her set exercises with Lexie flipping through a magazine and chatting to her. “I’m going to see what Stacey is up to.”

  “Stacey … Stacey,” the girls could hear her calling. “Lexie,” she said, returning, anxious, “I can’t see Stacey. Will you go out and find him, tell him I want him to play nearer the house.”

  Lexie looked at Clare and rolled her eyes as she left.

  His bike was not outside the back door in its usual place so she guessed he had gone down to the Cove. It was a windy day, but lovely and clear. Everything seemed fresh and clean after a little rain during the night. This was a great excuse to give Bud a good gallop; passing Tom on her way to the stables she asked if he had seen Stacey.

  Lexie whistled for Bud and once she was in the saddle he didn’t need any encouragement. Feeling the slight dig in his ribs he set off slowly at first and then once they were out in the paddocks, she let his head go. They loved rides like this. With her hair streaming out behind she called. “Faster, faster!” They had not been out alone since the Collins kids came over and she yelled into the wind with pleasure. It wasn’t until they got to the Cove she remembered she should have been looking out for Stacey on the way down. His bike was nowhere to be seen.

  She hopped down and ran onto the beach. The water was covered with dancing whitecaps, sand whipped around her legs, the magpies and wattlebirds were making a racket in the distance. “Stacey! Stacey!” There was no reply and no sign that he had been down there recently. She felt uneasy. The wind had been strong last night, whipping up the sea and leaving brown sludge of pulped seaweed washed up on the sand; fragmented shells were pushed along by the breaking waves that sucked them out and pushed them back again. The beach had changed overnight – it wasn’t such a haven now. As she checked behind his favourite rock a queer feeling surged in her stomach. “Come on Stacey, come out.” She called again, more urgently this time. He obviously wasn’t there, but where could he be?

  Lexie rode slowly back towards the house checking the damp ground for tyre marks. A little way up from the beach she found something that made her stop. It wasn’t much, just a smooth stone, shaped like a small egg with strange ochre markings but Lexie recognised it. Stacey had taken this stone from the beach the first day she found him there, it went everywhere with him, carried around in his pocket. She and Clare teased him about his ‘pet rock’. Now it stood out like a beacon in the grass. “Steady,” she said, bending to pick it up. The hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach had just increased. “He probably just dropped it. It could happen anytime, the way he dashes about.”

  She still felt uneasy and instinctively took Bud off the worn dirt track, across the paddock towards the road that, in turn, led to Reiby House, calling as she went. Without knowing why, she didn’t stop at the road but was drawn towards the house, still shut as her father had left it. Leaving Bud at the gate she went in with the intention of walking around the building once and leaving; everything was quiet, really quiet. Strange, not even the birds were singing. It was eerie. “For goodness’ sake, get a grip,” she muttered as she rounded a corner. There stood Stacey’s bike at the back steps. “Thank heavens,” she said out loud, her relief a warm rush in her chest. “Come on Stacey, you know you shouldn’t be here. Let’s go!” Her words echoed back at her. There was that feeling again. She swung round. The eyes could be anywhere.

  Then she saw him – the man who had visited their house. He walked towards her and to her horror she found her feet were stuck to the ground. After what seemed an age she g
ot them to move and, turning to run, bumped into a huge person. This man, wearing a dark suit, was extremely tall and very overweight. It didn’t stop him from moving quickly, though. Lexie felt something soft held over her nose and mouth and a strong smell was overwhelming. She squirmed but he held her firmly. As she drifted into unconsciousness she was aware of movement and glimpsed a man carrying a cage with still birds lying on its floor.

  When she woke, night was falling and she was lying on the floor. What on earth was she doing on the floor? Then the memory of the huge man returned. She lay still, listening. What was that noise? Turning slowly, in the fading light her eyes could just see a small figure curled up in the corner quietly sobbing. Stacey. But where were they? There were no familiar sounds outside. The frightened boy looked up at her movement, eyes wide. “Lexie,” he said and ran to her with outstretched arms.

  “Ssshh, don’t cry. We both have to be brave.” Was she convincing him or herself?

  As they sat huddled together she tried to work out where they were. She couldn’t remember a car, but then, she couldn’t remember anything! The room was unfamiliar to her. It was medium sized. An old unmade bed with an iron bedhead stood against the wall, a big heavy, old-fashioned wardrobe close by. In the far corner was an elaborate wooden cupboard; it looked like a dressing-table except it had a china basin set in the top with a large floral water pitcher to the side. Its blotchy mirror swung between two supports and was twisted up to reflect the slanted ceiling. It had to be an attic and she struggled to see anything in the bad light. Leaving Stacey she moved quietly across the room and drew back a heavy, dusty curtain that hid a boarded-up window. Before she could try the light switch there was a creak outside, so she returned to sit by the shaking Stacey.

  A key turned in the lock, the door opened and the tall fat man appeared with a tray, which he placed just inside on the floor. Without speaking, he turned to leave.

  “Wait,” Lexie cried. The door closed and the lock turned. She picked up the tray, which held two apples and a glass of water each, and set it on the bed. “Come on Stacey, have something to eat.”

  While they were munching, Lexie tried the light switch beside the door. Of course, it didn’t work. They could barely see now and both would definitely have preferred a light.

  Settling Stacey on the bed she stumbled across to the wardrobe, hoping to find a blanket or something inside. No use – empty. The cupboard under the basin was empty, too. A creak outside and soft, creeping light beneath the door were simultaneous. A key turned and the fat man stood there with a blanket and burning kerosene lamp. Once again, not saying anything, he put the things inside and closed the door.

  Lexie was too tired to call after him this time. Setting the lamp on the floor by the bed, she turned it down low, cuddled in beside Stacey, and gratefully threw the musty blanket over them.

  Their sleep was fitful, broken by the occasional cry from Stacey and filled with the coldness of fear. In the early hours of the morning Lexie was woken by a sound. Not knowing what it was, she lay awake trying to make sense of what was happening. Who were these men? Stupid question! They were obviously the smugglers Jason was chasing but what were they doing here when he was overseas and why did they need her and Stacey? Ah, but did they need her or had they mistaken her for Clare? Maybe they didn’t know what Clare looked like. That seemed to make sense.

  Thinking back on the afternoon she tried to imagine her parents’ reaction when Bud finally returned without her. Mainly, she thought, they would probably be angry at her disobedience! Poor Bud – sensitive, intelligent Bud. Such a loyal friend, he would have waited for a while before sensing danger and going to get help – except her parents would not know where he came from. Maybe after checking the Cove they would do what she did and end up at Reiby House? Would Stacey’s bike still be there? Feeling in her pocket, she found his much loved ‘pet rock’ was still there. She must remember to give it to him to cheer him up.

  Subdued light filled the room when next they heard the key. It was morning and there was the tall man with another tray. Stacey stirred.

  “Lexie, I need to go to the bathroom,” he whispered.

  “Yes, I do too,” she said, rising from the bed and moving towards the man, whose bulk filled the doorway. “Could we please use the bathroom?” she asked politely. Without responding he turned and left, locking the door behind him.

  She looked at Stacey who was quite agitated now, hopping from foot to foot. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be back. They can’t leave us like this with nowhere to ‘go’.”

  A few minutes later the man reappeared with a piece of material and gestured to Stacey, who, in turn, looked with alarm at Lexie. “Come on,” she said holding his hand as a blindfold was fixed over his eyes.

  “I can’t see,” Stacey whined, reaching up to remove it. Their captor looked at Lexie.

  “Leave it there, Stacey,” she said quietly, bending and taking his hand. “They obviously don’t want you to see where you are. Just leave it on and the man will take you to the bathroom and then bring you straight back. Isn’t that right?” she said firmly, looking at the man and hoping she appeared calm and in control. He nodded.

  She listened to their receding footsteps, suddenly very frightened. What if they didn’t return? What if the man came back by himself after he had taken Stacey somewhere else?

  Agitated, Lexie paced up and down. How stupid! She should have insisted on going with them instead of putting her trust in this big man she didn’t even know.

  Time slipped by. Where were they? Finally she heard the comforting sound of the key and Stacey was with her again. Now it was her turn.

  She didn’t mind admitting to herself she wasn’t at all happy with the situation. Being blindfolded by a strange man who didn’t seem to know how to talk was bad enough but being led by the hand to the bathroom was downright embarrassing.

  He guided her down a musty-smelling hallway and because their footsteps made a muffled sound she concluded there was a thin carpet on the floor – probably old and worn. It was strange, there weren’t any sounds at all, everything was really quiet, like a vacuum. After a few paces they turned a corner to the left and her hand was placed on a wooden banister; it felt big and dusty, her fingers could only just stretch across the top when she laid her whole hand on it. After three steps she was on another landing, then they turned left again and took a further eight steps down before she was guided through a door that closed behind her. Her first reaction was to remove the blindfold, it was very tight and she soon realised it was caught in her hair. She stood there, trying to think. Even if she took the blindfold off and ran, how far would she get before she was caught? It was hopeless, she didn’t know who else was here or how to go directly to an exit; plus her captor would probably get really angry and who knew what he might do? And apart from all that, she couldn’t leave Stacey alone.

  Feeling very much better and having adjusted her clothes, Lexie moved forward, feeling for the door as the floor squeaked. It was hard to open because the door handle was broken.

  Walking back up to the room she felt an elaborately carved corner post of the banister. Wherever they were, the building was certainly big.

  Back in the room Lexie found Stacey had already eaten his breakfast – more water and a biscuit each. As she ate Stacey talked.

  “Where do you think we are?” he asked excitedly.

  “I don’t know but it’s obviously somewhere big and probably fairly plush.”

  “I think I know where we are.” Satisfaction.

  “How on earth could you know where we are?” She looked at him in amazement.

  “Weeell … GAC told me I couldn’t play at the top of the house, but one day I did. I wanted to explore. I went into the bathroom and the door closed and I couldn’t get out for a while because the handle was broken and then the floor squeaked so badly I was sure she would know I was up there … ” Stacey was speaking faster and faster.

  “Alrigh
t,” said Lexie. “Slow down.”

  She looked at him in astonishment. “I don’t believe it. They haven’t taken us anywhere. Tell me about the banister – you know, the rail that runs down the side of the stairs.”

  “Ummm. It’s really big. It’s dark brown. There are big posts at the corners with things that look like big nuts made out of the wood.”

  “You mean acorns? Those cone-shaped things that fall off the trees?” Lexie demonstrated with her hands.

  “Yes.” Stacey was getting excited.

  Jumping to her feet she started pacing up and down, running her fingers through her hair in anticipation. “If we’re still here then we should be able to get out. That reminds me.” She reached into her pocket. “I found this yesterday when I was looking for you.”

  “Oh, wow, my rock! I thought I’d lost it.” It was good to see him smile.

  While Stacey reacquainted himself with his pet rock Lexie tried to get her thoughts straight. What cheek! If they really were in Reiby House and she and Stacey still hadn’t been found it must mean that the man or men who kidnapped them were really ‘lying low’. There must be a way out of here! She was filled with bubbling excitement and an overwhelming relief that Holman’s Cove was so close.

  As she watched Stacey with his rock it occurred to her that all she had to do was escape through the window and attract someone’s attention. Seemed easy enough. Looking closely at the window Lexie saw it would be possible to remove the boarding if she had something to lever it off with. After thoroughly searching what was virtually an empty room she sat frowning on the bed, feeling despondent. Nothing! There must be something she could use. In exasperation she threw herself full stretch out on the bed and gave her hand a painful whack on the iron bedhead. She glared at the offending piece of metal as she rubbed her hand.

  “Hey,” she said out loud, reaching for the bedhead.